Not Impressed with flash/umbrella set up. What am I missing?

Ok...I've been using AB's for years now..but wanted to try using that attachment for one umbrella and my strobe 580ex set up like I see a lot of people using here.
I'm triggering the flash with an ST-E2 in ETTL mode, full power. I tried using my translucent umbrella and one where I'm using it to bounce the light. I know this is not an AB800, but I thought I'd get more lighting results than this? posting a before /after pic...one with flash, one without. Just a pic of a painting on the wall, no other lights in the house on, cloudy morning here with natural light coming in through windows.

W/ flash and W/O flash

What are your settings on each of these?

Lens (mm): 50
ISO: 1000
Aperture: 4
Shutter: 1/200

Try manual.

was under the impression that transmitter won't work in manual? Has to be ETTL? I could be wrong...

That did it. Just learned something new...always thought that had to be in ETTL...which I never shoot in anyway when using a flash. Nice to know...thanks for the help

Generally, use manual flash settings if you have time to set it up and measure. Use ETTL if you're in a run-n-gun situation where you only have once chance at each shot and you need it to be pretty close to proper exposure.

Ettl can be quite handy for fill flash, but for using flash as your main light source, indeed, it's manual all the way.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #17485481
Ettl can be quite handy for fill flash, but for using flash as your main light source, indeed, it's manual all the way.

ETTL works just fine as a main light providing you:
A) understand how ETTL works
B) understand the relationship between ambient light metering and flash metering via the camera
C) understand that you have to make decisions about which light source you want to be the main source and how to use the camera metering modes to balance the main source with the fill source.
D) are willing to practice until you have a clear understanding about how multiple, dissimilar light sources can be used together.

In other words;
practice makes perfect.
Its the photographer, not the tools, that makes the picture.